Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-24

the Forks OF Qucsnelle down 10 VIII
lisms's Lake. These two points are
some hundred and fifty miles apart,
and thirty miles day in the woods was
very good travelling. Slow it was, but
not moBotonous. Ii there were a mono
tone it was Of the dark and sombre
twilight OF the constant ceiling Of pinss
through which the sun and upper air
reached us arrow-wisc. Below there
was y variety of travel hero q wet
bottom Of mud, deep enough and
thick enough to pull an animals
shoe off; there big fallen
tree across the trail, to bo nego-
taied with cattle which could fly as
soon az Jump and these would be re
I,ycd by redwood tract Of ccdars,
with slippery carpet of needles go
clean. so sweet, and in all weathcrs 50
dry that it used TO seem a shame not 10
on saddle and camp then and there
instead of leaving it. At times the
road would climb over n hogs back, or
divide, and the travellers would toll and
stiuCglc mp hill, to emerge in time
upon some bare scalp OF mountain
granite, sycnite, or mctanorPhicrock-
where the hcTbcrry Of kinni-knnick
Cnamcllod the white quartz with its
scarlet berry and glossy leaf or where
tie sole vegetation the snow water had
10 trickle through was composed Of
peat and patches Of moss hag. There
was no game, nothing 10 shoot at
here; unless, which st. Hubert for
bid foul murder were done upon the
chiImunks-a friendly, gracious little
race Of striped squirrels, who frisk and
flint and play at bidc-and-seek with the
human traveller along the wayside
trcos-or upon the whiskey jacks, por-
tentouslv tame birds in Prussian colOrs
Of white and black, in size between II
magpie and Il wagtail, who enjoy all
the immunltics Of our robin, and viii
perch on a mans knee while he is cat
ing his dinner. No; there is nothing
for the sportsman on these trails.
What game there is listens to the free
born accents of the white man and
shrinks deeper within the forest shades,
end no traveller has leisure t. seek it
there.
"Wcll, We got down in time to vii
hams's Lake, broad valley with two
ranches or farms about a mile apart,
whore onions at fifty cents apiece and
milk chose two anti-scOrbutic longings
of the man of pork and bcans) were to
lie oltainod-a forctaste Of tho luxu
riCs Of the lower country. The houses
were both well filed with guests, for
other mining districts were swelling
the downward stream of travel. |
Will spare YOU r description of the
manners and humOfs of these cara
vansari,s, and SO on to say that,
having secured a tolcrably promising
corner for my blankets, / had rolled
myself up in them, with my saddle for
pillow, and was well IN the first
droamlcss sleep of the tired man,
Wlcn- il was only about 10 o'cl0ck-a
eailoping horse suddenly pulled up
outside, and loud cries Oh, Williams, !.
you've got the judge There. We want
The Judge walked me up. In that
country It doesn't take much to open
the WtMi, st mans eyes, nor, on the
o;lCr hand, is undue excitement fash
ionahle among Anglo-Sazons 50, while
the slight discrepancy between night
AID day dress was being rapidly al
justod. the whole story was told IN
few curt sentences to this effect.
at the other house little difficulty
had occurrcG-a shooting scrape. The
victim WAS not dead yet, but "A the
manner Of it-a fclon shot from be-
hind-had alicnatcd the sympath!es of
The boys. it bad resulted in the offender
Icing colrallcd and detained, AMI the
Judge, who was reported to be at the
ether ranch, icing sent for.
"TLc interior of the other house,
vlich was soon reached, to eyes fresh
from the cool, dark night, presented q
picture that ! well remember. The
large log building was not divided into
rooms and passages and the caycrnous
glooms and ahyss,s OF its nocturnal
condition made it seem va>tcr than it
was. The chief light came from the
fro Of pine logs stacked endwise mp
the chimney, and it flashed red upon a
strange and numerous company.
There was, as matter OF course,
in these womanless lands an efficient
and beautiful maulinoss in the almos-
phore. Death? What is death to
dwindlc, peak, and pine about !?
Still as little thing to he frivolous. or
cynical. or to buster about. A fact OF
what we call life, like amy other fact,
hut with the gravity Of tiHaity about
il: one of the more emphatic facts,
end to be rcckoncd with as such, but
10 more. Such was the feeling that
animated these men. Few OF them
probably lad read Hamlet, but his
thought was their Thoughtful it be
low, It's not to come if it be not to
come, il Will be now, Yet it will come 4;
tic READINGS. is ali Aud if the hard
life at close grips with nature brings
al out the same results aS divine
philosophy, who would not rather hear
The lark sing than the mouse squeak ?
Before the fire. not unskIltuiiy
p1oIpod up, was the yictim-a poor,
weak. vicious looking creature. He
had been shot through the lungs and
was bleeding fast to death Internally.
| The murderer sat little way of with
his Lack tothc wall, fenced in by long
table. Opposite him sat two silent
rumCe, one with his cooked revolver
IN lis hand. The other with similar
weapon on the table before him. Like
the others his WIS 10 true miners face.
| lie looked villain OF the town, like
the unG,Istiappcr Of agamblmg hell
not villain OF the open air at AL.
The crowd. who had been withheld
from their Sleep 10y this red business,
welcomed my entrance with a grave
silence.
"'Good evening, gentlemen where
is the owner Of tins house =
He stepped forward and quietly
said that Tie two men had arrived to
g,thcr from the northern read on III,
evening before ANA had rested at in.
house tie whole day that about 9 ths'
evening hc observed them come il
from outside together; that they had {
drink ol whiskoy at his bar and Ia
now rcmemOerod that they seemoC
sulkily disposed to each other. The.
must have gone out again, for half ~
hour later he heard a piStol-shot clos
outside, and, the door opening TIM
wounded man staggered in and fell OF
the floor, bleeding freely at the mouth
II was found on examination tia
N.n